


If It Pleases You

by LadyoftheValley



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, iwaizumi is his temple priest, oikawa is a god, oikawa meddles too much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 11:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11758659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheValley/pseuds/LadyoftheValley
Summary: Oikawa Tooru had never wanted another human quite like he wanted Iwaizumi Hajime. Iwaizumi Hajime had never believed he would be as devoted to a god as he had to Oikawa Tooru. It was a bond that no other devotee had ever felt before, and that no one would ever hope to have.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the introduction to what I'm trying to create, a bit of backstory before the main storyline begins. Please feel free to comment any suggestions or criticisms on my work.

Oikawa Tooru was the God they all worshipped, and normally, he never intervened so directly, but there was something about this one that he just had to have, that he needed at his side. So Oikawa sat in at the birth, pressed his hand to the mother’s swollen stomach, listening to her screams as she tried to deliver her son into the world, and made his mark on the boy. He held his hand there for a moment, before he sighed and helped her, pushing the baby into the world for her and right into the midwife’s waiting arms. Oh, he screamed, the little thing, but Oikawa Tooru didn’t mind. He was too busy focused on the midwife and father and mother, all gasping at Oikawa’s mark on his forehead, a beautiful twisting of vines carved dark in his skin. Now, he would solely be Oikawa Tooru’s.

The mother prayed for her son to him, calling out for her Oikawa Tooru, the Vessel of Truth and Solace and the Judge Most Merciful and Stern. She called for him at his temple, going as far as the public was allowed in the many encasing rooms, each one ringing around the previous, until there were seven layers, the centermost reaching for the sky. The public had to stop at the Third Ring, while the Head Priest resided alone in the centermost tower. But Oikawa felt her, heard her, and wanted his child nothing but happy. So he granted her prayer, one of protection and peace for her son, his new child.

The years passed in the blink of an eye for Oikawa, but it was almost like an eternity between his little human’s visits. They named him Iwaizumi Hajime, and Oikawa held the name in his lips, never once showing himself to the boy, for fear he would run. But the day the small child ran into his temple, disregarding the priests that served his Oikawa Tooru, and burst right into the inner sanctuary, where only the High Priest was allowed to enter, and wept at his alter, Oikawa couldn’t stop himself.

“Why did you give me this stupid mark? Why did you have to make me different? They wouldn’t hate me if it wasn’t for you!” His child actually punched the altar, and it hurt Oikawa to see him like this. For a second time, he broke his rule about intervening for this child.

Oikawa dropped a single white flower before Hajime, gently setting his ghostly fingers in his hair and shushing him gently as he wept. Even if his child couldn’t see him, Oikawa Tooru could do at least this much. His child cried for some time, only looking up when his sobs exhausted him. Hajime gently touched the flower, before bringing it closer, holding it to his chest, “Mama said you had a plan for me, and that’s why you marked me. Said you even helped her have me.” He held the flower closer, almost crushing it against his chest, “I don’t want a flower as an apology. I want answers.”

And Oikawa Tooru wished he could give them to his child, anything to ease his suffering. But he couldn’t. He had already interfered so much, but he wanted this child selfishly, so breaking his own rules didn’t seem as important as they once did. Oikawa sighed and summoned his High Priest, a man who had served him faithfully through his entire life, and bid him soothe his child in his place.

His High Priest entered, calling softly to his Iwaizumi, “Ahh, I see our Oikawa Tooru is fond of you. It’s a very special honor to bear his mark, you know.” The priest held out his hand, showing the mark of vines curling possessively around his wrist, “They say the more visible the mark, the stronger the bond we have to Oikawa Tooru, but who knows if that’s true or not.” The High Priest held out his hand for his child, and Oikawa made the skies weep for him, for he could not hold his child’s hand himself. The priest took the boy away from his inner chamber, and back to the entrance, to the gardens Oikawa coveted so much. Iwaizumi watched the rain, “Why is Oikawa Tooru crying?”

The High Priest smiles softly before reaching out from under the protected walkways to touch the falling tears, “Because he is sad to have caused you pain.”

Oikawa, standing just beside them in his form most resembling a human, gently touched his High Priest’s shoulder, whispering in his ear, “Show him to my private garden.” The High Priest nods and gently brings Oikawa’s child along, leading him to Oikawa Tooru’s private garden, where all of the High Priests’ have planted and maintained whatever their Oikawa Tooru wished of them. Hajime ran into the rain, looking at all of the new and foreign flowers and plants crawling along the gates and rails.

The High Priest chuckled softly, “This is Oikawa Tooru’s private garden, where only we as the High Priests’ are allowed.” Iwaizumi spun around, “Then why am I here?”

Oikawa, smiling bright even as the tears fell from the sky, touched the flower Hajime held tight to his chest, and let it flourish, glowing soft with the help of Oikawa’s power, “Because this is my apology.” Hajime gasped as the flower glowed, dropping it in his surprise. Oikawa tried to catch it as it fell, but it passed through his hand, falling to the ground. His child bent to pick the flower back up just as the god did, and for a moment, their hands touched. And when they touched, their eyes met, and for the first time, Iwaizumi saw the form of his Oikawa Tooru.

Iwaizumi gasped and pulled back, falling as he lost his balance and staring at the space where he had just seen his Oikawa Tooru, pointing to it and sputtering, “H-He was- He was right there! I swear! He was right there!”

Oikawa receded behind the High Priest, gently touching his shoulders as he hid, “He saw me. What should I do?”

The High Priest only smiled, hobbling just a bit closer in the rain to Iwaizumi, “It seems our Oikawa Tooru has given you quite a fright. But that’s a blessing, to see one of the faces that our Oikawa Tooru wears. Perhaps, if you wanted to see it again, you should plant the flower he has given you in this garden, and become a priest yourself.”

It takes him a moment to react, but then Iwaizumi is scurrying to find a spot to plant the small flower, anywhere where he felt it could flourish. Anywhere turns out to be in a spot hard to notice in the back of the area, but somewhere there would be the most privacy, where another priest couldn’t look inside and see. Iwaizumi isn’t a gardener, doesn’t know the least bit about the plants his Oikawa Tooru is so fond of, but he tries his best, as good as any small child could do, and waits silently, staring at the flower.

Oikawa laughs softly and walks over, touching the flower and feeding it his energy, letting it sprout roots and take hold of its spot, letting others build it up and hold it aloft. It was done, then. His child would train to be the next High Priest and devote himself entirely to his Oikawa Tooru. And Oikawa couldn’t have been happier.

He took his child’s face in his hands, letting him see the human face Oikawa had adopted, and smiled at his child, “I’ll always be here for you.” Then he pulled his hands away, vanishing back to the innermost temple, leaving Iwaizumi shocked into silence in the garden.

That’s when Iwaizumi Hajime swore his life to Oikawa Tooru’s service, declaring his commitment to the High Priest that when he came of age, he would return and train under him. The High Priest merely smiled and ruffled the child’s hair, letting the vines upon his head like a crown surge with their Oikawa Tooru’s power, sealing the promise.

Iwaizumi Hajime then belonged completely to his Oikawa Tooru.


	2. Chapter 2

It was finally the day of the Maturing Rite, a ceremony devoted to the children becoming adults, where they’d choose what path they would follow and would receive their talismans, blessings from their Oikawa Tooru.

Iwaizumi’s mother dressed her son in the best their family could afford, not wanting her son to feel inferior to the others on such a special day. Sure, he was being fussy over how starchy the clothes felt, but that was to be expected. She shushed him softly, “Be still, Hajime. It’s your special day, after all. Are you still going to choose the temple for Oikawa Tooru?”

Hajime huffed, before looking over his mother’s shoulder, “Not if he keeps distracting me.”

His mother was used to her son looking off in the distance and talking to himself, because she knew by now that he was seeing things no one else could, namely their Oikawa Tooru. Sometimes she’d whisper to her Oikawa Tooru whenever she felt a breeze against her arm while she was doing dishes or something tug at her skirt when she was knitting, thank him for being with her son and offer him whatever leftovers she could scrape together.

Iwaizumi gazed over his mother, where he could see Oikawa Tooru pacing back and forth, form easily melting between stunningly beautiful human and great white stag and back again, just as restless as the god seemed. He kept jumping out of existence before coming back, muttering to himself.

Oikawa glanced over, feeling his child’s eyes on him, and managed a blinding smile, “Don’t worry, Iwa-chan. I’ve got something special for you.” And with that, he was gone for good, so Iwaizumi returned his attention to his mother, “He kept walking back and forth, disappearing and reappearing. It was annoying.”

She smiled softly, because the stories her Hajime always told her made the god sound just as childish as her son, “It’s the day of the Maturing Rite. I’m sure he’s just nervous for you all.”

Iwaizumi softened a bit at that, nodding and looking back over her shoulder to where Oikawa had just been, “Yeah, maybe.”

She smiled softly and finished up his buttons, smoothing down imaginary wrinkles, “Make sure you do your best for the training. I won’t be there to bandage up your knees anymore.”

Iwaizumi groaned and stepped off the stool, rushing to go put on his shoes, “Mom! I don’t need you to do that for me anymore. I’m becoming an adult today.”

Her little boy wasn’t so little anymore, so she laughed softly and shooed him on, “Go on ahead with the other kids. Your father and I will be there when the ceremony starts to cheer you on when Oikawa Tooru gives you your talisman.” She kisses Iwaizumi’s head goodbye, then watched as he ran out the door, meeting up at the end of the road with his friends, all sprinting toward the temple.

She knew she wasn’t going to see her little boy for a while once he chose the life of a priest. Quietly, she made her way to a little alter she had made, where she housed her talisman, along with her husband’s, and prayed, “Please, Oikawa Tooru, take care of my son.”

Oikawa, sensing her prayer, and having a special relationship with said son, appeared beside her, invisible but sensed. He laid a hand on her clasped ones, just enough of an acknowledgement to have her in tears with gratitude.

No matter what kind of trickster god Oikawa Tooru could be, he wanted nothing but his followers to be content with their lives. He couldn’t take away their misfortunes and tragedies, but he could offer them whatever miracles he could. Though Oikawa had made a rule that he would never interfere directly with his people, he seemed to break that rule more and more often these days.

Perhaps he should finally destroy the rule once and for all.

The ceremony began at noon, with the children becoming adults lined up along the steps to the temple, with the High Priest waiting at the top with Oikawa Tooru’s blessings. When he raised his hand, the dull thunder of chatter hushed, for the Rite was beginning.

Oikawa set his hands on the High Priest’s frail shoulders, whispering in a language only those completely devoted to him could ever hope to understand. The High Priest nodded and began to spread Oikawa Tooru’s message:

“Every year, on this day, we bring our children under the grace of Oikawa Tooru, and he returns them to us as adolescents, learning and growing and choosing. Let us guide them on the paths they choose to take. May they never be burdened with weights they cannot carry alone. May they find success wherever they go, and may their burdens never be heavy enough to make them buckle. May they always be able to turn to Oikawa Tooru’s grace in both times of joy and sorrow, courage and fear. May they always return to us safe and unharmed, but stronger and wiser.”

And thus began the ceremony.

Iwaizumi stood near the center of the line, both excited and nervous. Would Oikawa Tooru still take him? The vines crowning him sensed the nerves and warmed with Oikawa Tooru’s reassurances. Oikawa Tooru would never let his Hajime know doubt.

One by one, the children passed under the archway to receive their blessings, animal talismans carved from woods that Oikawa Tooru took meticulous care to match to the child. Blackthorn for a determined child, pine for a secretive child, holly for a compassionate child.

As Iwaizumi approached the archway, he found himself looking straight at Oikawa Tooru rather than the priest himself, walked slower toward the alter, almost pulled by Oikawa Tooru’s magnetism.

Oikawa smiled and directed Hajime carefully in front of the priest, and nodded, before vanishing only to reappear behind the priest as he held out Iwaizumi’s talisman. Iwaizumi took the talisman eagerly, almost desperate to see what his Oikawa Tooru had given him. In his hands was a small bear made from the wood of a willow tree. Iwaizumi’s first instinct was to demand answers from Oikawa Tooru, but waited patiently, waited for his turn.

The Priest smiled and spoke as Oikawa whispered in his ear, “You hold in your hands a bear of willow. Oikawa Tooru has looked into your heart and decided this is the kind of person you are. The bear is a protector, a leader, but knows how to temper the need to lead with the need to rest, who knows when to help others and when to step aside, who have a good moral compass. Willow speaks to the soul who has the greatest potential to grow and learn and become great. This is how Oikawa Tooru sees you. Do you accept his gift?”

As if Iwaizumi could ever refuse his Oikawa Tooru.

He stood as tall as he could, holding the talisman close to his chest, “I accept the gift!”

Oikawa was so ecstatic to hear Iwaizumi say that, white roses bloomed along vines twining around the arch of the temple, and the people collectively gasped in awe. The god gasped himself, cheeks tinged pink as the priest chuckled at Oikawa Tooru’s behavior, “I’m glad you’re happy he accepted, but please try to keep the theatrics to a minimum.”

Iwaizumi kept his attention on the god, eyes bright and green like a forest on fire. Oikawa Tooru felt pinned by this small child’s gaze. How could such a small child affect him so?

The Head Priest looks to Iwaizumi with a subtle smile, holding his hand up to draw the attention back to the ceremony at hand, “And because you accept this gift, Oikawa Tooru will always be with you, whatever path you choose to take. Now tell us, Iwaizumi Hajime, what path are you choosing to start down?”

Iwaizumi never had a doubt in his mind, “I choose to become a priest at the temple to serve Oikawa Tooru however I can.” The vines encircling Iwaizumi’s brow warmed as Oikawa shifted into the great white stag, jumping over to Iwaizumi in his excitement and butting his head against Iwaizumi’s. Even if he stumbles, Iwaizumi smiles and looks to the priest for confirmation.

The Head Priest merely laughs and nods his head, “As you wish. May our Oikawa Tooru follow and bless the path you choose to walk, and any others you may find yourself on.”

Iwaizumi bowed his head, and Oikawa actually mimicked him, lowering his head and bowing to his priest. Oikawa knew that this priest was nearing the end, and it was a recognition and thank you for his service. He’d now be moving on to Iwaizumi as his main conduit, and eventually his Head Priest when he came of age.

The crowd cheered for Iwaizumi, his mother and father louder than everyone else. They were giving their son to the god, and even if tears dripped from their cheeks, it was the greatest honor their son could give them in return.

Iwaizumi turned to the crowd and bowed, before making his way back down the stairs, going to stand with the other children until the end of the ceremony. Oikawa stayed back and changed back into human form, no matter how much he wanted to follow his child.

As the ceremony went on, Oikawa kept glancing to Iwaizumi, getting restless as he spoke patiently for each child, letting his voice be heard through his old conduit. He loved his people more than anything, but he wanted nothing more than to finally take Iwaizumi as his.

Once the last child had been presented their talisman and had chosen their path, Oikawa leaned in close to the priest, using him once again to spread his message:

“All of the children have been presented their talismans, and each has chosen the path they intend to start down. We brought Oikawa Tooru children, and he returned to us young adults, ready to be taught and guided along their journeys until they can stand on their own. May he always give us, his followers, his blessings in all we do. May he watch over us all and keep us from the atrocities that ravage those around us.”

The crowd cheered their agreement, and each child went off to their parents to finish the day’s festivities, more food and song and dance. But Iwaizumi turned to Oikawa Tooru, looking up to him from the bottom of the steps. He whispered softly from there, but Oikawa could hear the prayer on his lips, “You better look out for everyone until I’m the head priest, and then you can rely on me more. I’ll take care of everyone, and then you can rest.”

Before Oikawa could run to him, Iwaizumi dashed off to his parents.

Oikawa followed after him, casting one last glance to the Head Priest, shifting into the form he had first met Oikawa Tooru in, a maiden more beautiful than any other, the wildflowers of the forest decorating long chestnut locks and flowing white robes.

It wouldn’t hurt to join in the day’s festivities as a beautiful stranger. Besides, Iwaizumi needed to be with his parents now. He could spirit Iwaizumi away tomorrow, when he moved into the temple.

As the night went on, Oikawa danced with the adults, sometimes twirling the children in celebration as he passed. They didn’t know this form, this woman, but Oikawa didn’t let them feel suspicion, instead let the air of excitement and celebration mask any suspicion they might have had.

The Maturing Rite always gave him such power with all of the prayers his people sent him, and Oikawa could stand and get drunk on it. But he knew tonight he couldn’t allow himself that. He needed to check after Iwaizumi tonight once everything settled down.

The people started gathering in the town center, one last dance of the night to celebrate, with the children getting to dance with the adults around the fire. Oikawa smiled as he followed them all, drawn by the silent prayers and the focus of festivities. A few of the children were already dancing with each other, so Oikawa smiled and grabbed the man closest, pulling him into a dance before leaving him with another woman for a partner.

Once Oikawa started facilitating the dance, everyone started to join in, dancing with each other and children, congratulations and merriment filling the silence of the night. How happy it made Oikawa to see everyone filled with joy.

As they danced around the fire, Oikawa’s hand slipped into a smaller one, and the rush of electricity he got from the contact made him smile happily, and look down into the face of none other than his Hajime.

Iwaizumi’s face scrunched up, “What are you doing?”

Oikawa smiled and twirled with him, holding him close and keeping him for himself instead of passing him off, “I wanted to join in the fun. Is that so wrong?”

Iwaizumi looked him over, took in this form of his. Oikawa had never taken this form in front of Iwaizumi, only ever a child, a young man, or a stag. How was he supposed to react to this one? Oikawa was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl Iwaizumi had ever seen, but then again, Oikawa was the most beautiful man he had ever seen too.

It sent a wave of heat to his cheeks.

Oikawa smiled at the soft blush on his Hajime’s cheeks, but didn’t comment on it. Tonight, he’d let Iwaizumi have his fun. He kept him to himself as they danced, letting Iwaizumi be the envy of them all tonight, being the only one this beautiful stranger wanted to dance with.

As the fire died down, the festival did as well, children going off with their parents to get ready to start down their paths tomorrow. Oikawa felt his human form fading, and smiled down at Iwaizumi, “Thank you for dancing with me. I haven't danced in ages.”

Iwaizumi huffed, even with the soft blush on his cheeks betraying him, “Well, someone had to make sure you weren't off causing trouble.”

Oikawa only laughed and let go of Iwaizumi's hand, reaching to caress his cheek, “Get home safely, Hajime. Tomorrow's a busy day for you.” Iwaizumi nodded, only letting himself relax into the touch for a moment, before running off to his parents and home.

Yes, tomorrow would be a busy day for both of them. Oikawa smiled and shifted back into a young man, fading back into invisibility. The god was breaking his rules, and felt the consequences sitting heavy on his body, weighing him down. He’d have to get the priests to purify him again. Maybe Hajime could help with that tomorrow.

With that decided, Oikawa retreated back into his temple’s innermost tower to rest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter to prepare for the next chapter. Please enjoy!

The next morning, Oikawa found himself in Iwaizumi’s room, his own excitement mixing with his Hajime’s, and quickly appeared on his bed, laid out as Iwaizumi dressed by his closet, “You’re going to go grey trying to make that tie look perfect. And you aren’t even going to need it at the temple.”

“I’m trying to make a good first impression other than your stupid vine birthmark,” He retorted, but the smile was evident in his voice.

Oikawa scoffed, “You should be honored to have that mark. I’ve chosen you, though I don’t know why when you’re just so mean to me, Iwa-chan.”

He loved this teasing back and forth he always got with Iwaizumi, which was funny, because he had never expected to like the banter. Oikawa had always needed control and devotion, so why he loved being teased and teasing right back was new and exciting and a little scary. Oikawa felt the weight grow across his skin, blackened and grotesque blight infecting him, and knew that Iwaizumi would have to deal with a cleansing ceremony his first day.

How… dreadful.

Iwaizumi finished dressing, and with one last look at the god, one full of excitement and hope, he ran downstairs to say goodbye to his parents. Oikawa would let them have this, because Oikawa was about to whisk their child away for who knows how long, as he was destined since the beginning. So Oikawa faded and returned to the temple to await his child’s arrival.

The temple itself was bustling with activity, as Iwaizumi wasn't the only child beginning their journey here. Oikawa smiled as his priests rushed about, gently patting the backs of those that passed close enough by, before floating to the Head Priest’s side, “My children are coming today. Iwa-chan is coming.”

The priest nodded as he smiled, leaning on his cane, “Yes, they are. He is. So be on your best behavior and don't embarrass us. We can't have the children changing paths after only one day.”

Oikawa scoffed, folding his arms as he floated around him, “As if! They're lucky to serve me! Only the best for my followers, and even more so my clergy.”

The Head Priest’s face turned grim, “Are you sure that a cleansing ceremony is the best thing to have them do on their first day?”

Oikawa bit his lip, settling down beside the priest, getting grim himself, “It has to be done. If they can't handle this ceremony, how will they handle anything else here? I won't tolerate slackers in my temple.”

The priest did know, but he also knew the dangers of the ceremony, knew how it could hurt the children. He sighed, before the bells rang, signalling the start of the day.

Everyone turned to look as the temple doors swung open, the daily guests here to pray with the preachers, and the three children that had chosen clergy as their path coming over to the Head Priest, waiting.

Oikawa Tooru grinned and went to Iwaizumi, circling him playfully before looking to the others, two small girls. He stood in front of them and watched, before shaking his head, “No Sight or Empathy on either. Keep them in the fourth ring. Iwa-chan is permitted to the sixth ring for now.”

Public to the third ring, clergy with no Sight or Empathy to the fourth, clergy with Empathy to the fifth, clergy with Sight to the sixth, and only the Head Priest alone in the seventh with Oikawa Tooru. Those rules had to be strictly followed, no matter what. Oikawa could only handle so much blight from breaking the rules.

The Head Priest nodded and looked the children over, “Welcome to the temple on your first day as clergy instead of followers. There are different rings with different responsibilities, so I'll get you all in touch with the Ring Leaders to start your training. Oikawa Tooru has deemed Iwaizumi worthy up to the sixth ring, and Kuribayashi and Otaki have been deemed worthy up to the fourth. If you three wouldn't mind following me…” 

The lower clergy bowed their heads in respect to the Head Priest as he passed with the children, while the attending citizens waved to the children in encouragement. The Second and Third Rings were much like the First, all for the public with slightly different purposes. The First was reserved for general prayers, the Second for blessings, and the Third for miracles. 

Whether or not Oikawa would grant any of the wishes his people brought to him was always a shot in the dark at best, but the god wasn’t cruel. As long as his clergy cleansed him, he could give some of them the wishes they asked of him.

The doors to the inner rings that loomed in the back, the only way in and out. There were always two lower clerics guarding the doors, that being their only job in the temple. Oikawa Tooru went ahead and opened the door, trying to hurry them along. He was restless. The girls gasped when the doors seemingly opened on their own, but Iwaizumi saw the god, and knew that there was something up. Oikawa was even more restless than usual, and there was something… off. He moved like he was in pain.

The clerics bowed their heads in respect and greeting as they passed, but never moved from their post. As the doors closed behind them, the Head Priest spoke once more, “Alright girls, this is where I’ll leave you in the care of the Fourth Ring Leader. She’ll show you to your new rooms and get you your new robes. There’s an important ceremony later tonight, so make sure you follow her instructions carefully.”

Once the Head Priest gives the girls to the ring leader, he looks to Iwaizumi, “Let’s continue on.” Iwaizumi nods, but his eyes lock onto the god, who’s being unusually quiet and twitchy, who keeps picking at his own robes. Iwaizumi wants to ask, but not here, not now.

They continue past the fifth ring, arriving in the sixth, where only three other priests rush about, preparing for the ceremony. The Sixth Ring Leader pauses, looking over Iwaizumi and his crown of thorns, “I see. This is who Oikawa Tooru chose.” The Head Priest nods before gently urging Iwaizumi forward.

He stands as tall as he can in the midst of these adults, “What’s the ceremony for? Oikawa’s being weird.”

Oikawa Tooru glances between them all, before settling in front of Iwaizumi and slowly slips the robe off his shoulder. Iwaizumi recoils in disgust at the mottled black and green marring the normally porcelain skin, making the god look like he’s rotting.

As soon as Iwaizumi recoils, Oikawa jerks his robe back over the spot and disappears in a flash, the sky thundering in warning. The priests look up at the noise, before starting to rush again.

The Head Priest settles his hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, “I’m sorry it startled you. That’s what the ceremony is for, cleaning that off of our god’s body.”

“What was that?” Iwaizumi’s knees are shaking, but his eyes are bright and burning, just like at the Maturing Rite.

“It’s called blight,” the Head Priest starts, “At least that’s what Oikawa Tooru has told us. It’s the price he pays for interacting with humans. With every prayer granted, that shows up on his body, and it has to be cleansed in a special ceremony. If you’re planning on becoming Oikawa Tooru’s head priest, I suggest you pay special attention to this ceremony tonight. It’s one of the main duties we have to perform.”

Iwaizumi took a breath and squared himself, before looking instinctively toward the doors to the Seventh Ring’s doors. He’d never say it aloud, but something so disgusting didn’t belong on the god, and he’d do everything he could to get it off of him.

With his mind made up, he looked to the Head Priest, “Teach me.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a character introduced in this chapter known as the Beast. It may seem confusing, but please bear with me that this character is important to the plot. Thank you for understanding.

The ceremony started at dusk, only an hour after the temple closed to the public for the night. Behind the temple and their gardens was a slab of flat land, purposely left barren for ceremonies such as these. Oikawa was in the center of a large sigil carved in the ground, the priests ringing around it, but never crossing the first line.

Once the ceremony started, who knew what Oikawa Tooru would do in his pain. This kept everyone safe.

All of the priests raised their hands out toward the sigil, because while they could not see what happened inside, they knew the importance of this ceremony. They knew what the world did when Oikawa Tooru was in a frenzy.

The High Priest was the closest to the sigil, standing just outside and gazing in at Oikawa’s mottled body, the robe long since pooled around his feet that normally kept him hidden.

But Oikawa couldn’t look away from Iwaizumi, who was scowling at his body as if it offended him. Did Iwaizumi think he was still beautiful? Or did he now know the atrocities committed written across the god’s skin?

The High Priest sighed and brought his own hands up, Iwaizumi at his side following suit, “We come today to cleanse the blight from our god. We ask for help from the elementals, come to your god and cleanse him of humanity’s evils, their selfishness, their greed, their gluttony, their vengeance.”

One priest stepped forward, holding a chalice filled with water and oil, pouring the liquid into the shallow trenches carving the sigil into the ground, “We ask the water elementals to cleanse the god.”

Iwaizumi saw but didn’t react. He held his hands still as the water glowed, sending up a wall of light to trap the god. Spirits held in the water sprung up and wrapped around the god’s ankles, holding him still.

The blight itself started to shift and scurry across the skin, fleeing the cleansing of the water.

Oikawa howled, trying to yank his body away from the water spirits. Thunder responded to his cry, rumbling warnings across the sky.

As Oikawa struggled, another priest stepped forward, holding out a smoldering bunch of sage, wafting the smoke into the sigil’s circle, “We ask the air elementals to cleanse the god.”

Unseen to the priests without the Sight, the smoke seemed to take on a life of its own, circling the wall of light and curling around the god. Smoke churned and took shape as small spirits, all circling around the god and running their smokey forms along his head and shoulders. The blight tried to run again, and Oikawa snarled as it worked its way over his back and chest. Even Iwaizumi could feel the pain the god was in, and unbidden, a tear fell down his cheek.

Iwaizumi hated seeing Oikawa Tooru like this.

Another priest stepped forward, and Iwaizumi almost didn’t want to continue, not if it put the god in such pain. They held forward a bowl of precious salt and soil from the food fields, sprinkling it into the sigil, “We ask the earth elementals to cleanse the god.”

The earth elementals took shapes crudely humanoid and rushed to climb above the water elementals to cling to his legs and hips, trapping the blight to only Oikawa’s stomach and lower back. Oikawa twisted and fought and howled, the forest surrounding them seeming to burst forth with a ferocious energy. Iwaizumi saw a great beast lurking in the trees, waiting. His knees shook with terror, but he didn’t lower his hands.

The High Priest noticed Iwaizumi staring in the forest, and quietly explained, “That is the monster we send the blight to so it may burn. Oikawa calls it the Beast at the Heart of the Forest.”

Almost on cue, the last priest stepped forward, shielding a candle flame from the winds now whipping the trees into a frenzy, “Finally, we ask the fire elemental to cleanse the god.” He dipped the candle flame into the trench, igniting the oil, and the Beast roared as the fire engulfed the sigil, jumping into the flames from the forest, too fast to make out any shape besides a dark blur.

One of the new children dropped her hands in surprise as she was knocked over, and the fire in the sigil exploded outward, the energy unbalanced because her hands fell, breaking the spiritual connection. This is why the ceremony was so dangerous, especially for new clerics.

The Beast howled, dredging primal fear in Iwaizumi’s chest. That sound wasn’t human, not even animal. That sound was something archaic and evil.

Iwaizumi leaped into the fiery sigil, mind only on Oikawa.

Once his vision cleared, his eyes went wide, because the Beast was looming and had its jaws around Oikawa’s body, fire pouring out the side of its mouth. But Oikawa wasn’t resisting, and the Beast, surprisingly canine but scaly, with no eyes and too many mouths, wasn’t ripping him to shreds.

But both the god and the beast turned their focus on Iwaizumi.

He tried to scramble to his feet, but the water, air, and earth elementals kept him trapped down, just as they had the god. Oh god, he was going to get eaten by the beast, wasn’t he?

Oikawa’s eyes were uncharacteristically chaotic, the same feeling emanating from them as the feeling emanating from the fire beast, but he seemed to gather himself as he gazed at the boy. He pat the Beast’s jaws to release him, and went to Iwaizumi’s side, kneeling and just looking for a moment. This wasn’t the Oikawa Tooru Iwaizumi knew. This was a chaotic side he hadn’t known.

The elementals whispered about spiriting him away and taking him and leaving nothing human behind, but the god shook his head. The Beast, the fire elemental, came up behind Oikawa, eyeless gaze focused solely on Iwaizumi, but the god shook his head again.

Iwaizumi swallowed, but found his voice, “An-Any energy that no longer serves Oikawa Tooru, please leave now. Thank you for your presence, but I’m sending you away.”

For a moment, nothing but what raged outside the sigil moved, but then Oikawa Tooru’s eyes cleared, recognition finally in his eyes, and he stood tall, waving a hand and banishing all of the elementals holding Iwaizumi down.

“Iwa-chan, it’s dangerous in here. Did someone falter?”

While he was grateful the god was functioning again, the Beast had brought its too many mouths closer to him, keeping him frozen.

Oikawa set his hand on the jaws of the beast, a sudden sadness in his eyes, “Be still, my heart. He holds our mark. He is not our enemy.”

The Beast at the Heart of the Forest sat back and bounded off, too fast to truly see, and the sigil fires vanished in the instant. Iwaizumi was left staring up at the god, skin free of the rotten blight, and a grin brighter than the moon breaking through the storm clouds.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan. Now please, rest,” Oikawa whispered gratefully as he passed his hand over Iwaizumi's eyes, putting him to sleep while he dealt with the damage he caused. Once Iwaizumi was safely under his spell, Oikawa stood tall, feeling his heart lurch at the chaos outside of the sigil.

Yes, the girl faltered and caused his heart to burn without restraint. Now the ground was scorched and his followers were harmed, and it was her fault. But Oikawa couldn’t put the burden of blame on her.

He walked through his clerics, gently touching their foreheads to take the pain of the fire and backlash of the sigil trying to keep him contained, and put them all to sleep. Only his High Priest stood, waiting patiently for Oikawa Tooru to finish.

“What should we do with Kurabiyashi? Will you toss her out?”

Oikawa bit his lip as he stared down at the girl, sound asleep with hands burnt from the backlash, “Does she deserve to be let go on the first day because she faltered on the most dangerous ceremony we have? Or does she deserve a second chance because she’s a child and doesn’t yet understand the importance of discipline?”

He leans down to tend to her hands, blight already starting to reappear across his back because of it. The High Priest sighed softly, because Oikawa was putting himself through so much pain recently, just so his people didn’t have to. The god was pouring himself into his people, even when it pained him to do so.

The Beast stuck it’s head out from the forest, no eyes and too many mouths, all sharp teeth and flames licking along it’s body. Oikawa’s heart was just as merciless as the beast seemed and just as soft as it actually was.

Oikawa looked up, and motioned the beast away, back into the heart of the forest. The High Priest came closer to Oikawa as the beast bounded off, “Leave the girl to the healers, Oikawa Tooru. Don’t hurt yourself after you’ve only just gotten clean.”

He didn’t want to leave the girl, but he did. He didn’t want to leave any of them, but he did. He left them to go tend to Iwaizumi, for if he fell, the god would too. Oikawa had to make sure he hadn’t suffered burns jumping into the sigil recklessly like that. 

The fire had only gotten to Iwaizumi’s clothes, thankfully, but that didn’t reassure Oikawa. Despite the way blight burned his arms as he pulled the boy into his arms to carry him back inside, Oikawa Tooru took the pain. Anything for this small child he had destined as his own without giving any consideration to what the child may have wanted. 

Oikawa may have been selfish, but he wasn’t a monster.

Iwaizumi woke to the god curled against him, holding him against his chest like Iwaizumi would disappear if he didn’t hold him tight enough. Maybe he would, who knew. His body felt sluggish and jittery at once, and the only thing seeming to hold him together was the god himself. Oikawa Tooru gently loosened his hold on Iwaizumi, looking down at him with an almost weary expression, even if there was nothing but fondness in his eyes, “Good morning, Iwa-chan.”

The child’s expression went to his default with the god, suspicion, “How long have I been asleep for? How long have you been holding me?”

Oikawa had the audacity to act sheepish, “Well, the answer to both of those questions is two days.”

Iwaizumi kicked and pushed at the god, tearing his robes away from his chest to stare down at the blight now covering him, and Iwaizumi seethed, “Why are you so reckless? We just got this off you! I hate seeing it on you!”

“Because I didn’t want you to be alone when you woke up,” Oikawa spoke quietly, turning his gaze away. He hadn’t meant to upset his child, but he had wanted those shakes from his spell to pass without hurting him, so Oikawa had taken it. Oikawa would take anything for this child.

The child’s expression darkened, “Let’s get another ceremony prepared, and then I’m punching you for being so stupid.”

Oikawa shook his head and laughed, “No, Iwa-chan. No ceremony until you are all taught discipline. I have another way to rid myself of this.”

Iwaizumi didn’t like the sound of it, but he wasn’t going to argue. The ceremony had failed because they hadn’t been able to focus, and Oikawa needed to get this off. “Fine, but I want it off, and then I don’t want it back this badly ever again.”

Oikawa nodded and disappeared from under Iwaizumi, going to wherever he went when he wasn’t with his humans.

While Iwaizumi went to work after sleeping for two days, Oikawa went to the heart of the forest surrounding his little village and stepped into the Beast’s cave. 

Immediately, the Beast was on him, clamping it’s jaws around Oikawa’s chest and burning, making the blight scurry everywhere to avoid the flames, and Oikawa writhe and scream in pain. The blight crawled along his face and down his legs, everywhere, violating him where the elementals usually protected him. But he had to. The blight was eating away at him, and Iwaizumi hated seeing it on him.

Once he was thoroughly violated and burned halfway to a crisp, the Beast released him, only letting him walk a few steps before pushing him to the ground and laying on top of him. Oikawa pet what he could, “I know, my heart. I know.”

The Beast at the Heart of the Forest screeched, before settling down to rest, Oikawa petting it all the while, “I know, my heart. I know.”


End file.
